Entertainment

Rdio's Unlimited Music-Streaming Service Opens to the Public

Rdio is the $9.99-per-month, all-you-can-stream, social, multi-platform music service that hails from the founders of Skype. The service has been around as a private beta offering for months, but today Rdio is opening its doors — and its seven million-song catalog — to the public.

Now that the music service is publicly available, anyone can tap into its music collection through its web app, desktop app or Android, BlackBerry, iPhone and iPad mobile applications.

Rdio's key selling point is that it offers unlimited and unfettered access to music. Once you purchase one of the subscription plans, you can listen to any songs you like, at any time and wherever you are, as many times as you want. CEO Drew Larner describes it as "unlimited online jukebox." Of course, it also stands out because it is inherently social.

Rdio has also been successful at negotiating with the "big four" major music labels in the U.S.: Sony, EMI, Universal and Warner Music Group. Most recently, Rdio has also struck deals with indie labels such as IODA, IRIS, Finetunes, INgrooves and The Orchard. Their industry relationships help make the available selection of songs as replete as possible.

When it comes to the business appeal of the service, media and entertainment companies such as Spin Magazine are using the service to curate songs, become digital tastemakers and connect with fans. It's an ingenious use case as fans can follow the accounts to discover new music and even sync their playlists to mobile devices.

Now that Rdio is open to all listeners in the U.S. and Canada, we should soon see how the service stacks up against the likes of MOG, Pandora and even Spotify when it comes to user appreciation and adoption.

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